Paola Boivin, The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, covering the Suns, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Coyotes, ASU and UA. Despite popular opinion, I don't belong in the kitchen -- ask my cat, whose tail I once set ablaze while cooking scrambled eggs -- nor do I indulge in mind-altering narcotics ("Were you on crack when you wrote that, Boivin?") I once received a threatening letter from someone claiming to be Richard Simmons' publicist, and nearly 20 years ago, I gave my phone number to a little known comedian in a Minnesota comedy club. Tom Arnold never called but a few months later I read in the newspaper that he was engaged to Roseanne Barr. Ouch.

We are painted as petulant, critical and impatient, but in reality we are dreamers. We cling to potential, ignore shortcomings, rhapsodize statistics.

We are fans, short for both fanatics and fantasists. We want to believe the athletes we follow can rise to improbable heights.

I still believe Justin Upton is one who can.

It is not surprising the outfielder’s name keeps surfacing in trade talks coming out of the winter meetings. At only 25, with two All-Star appearances, 108 home runs and a top-five finish in the 2011 National League MVP voting, he is deemed a catch. Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers has excelled in his career by listening to all offers and by acknowledging that everyone is trade-worthy if it betters the team.

Here is hoping no deal comes along that captures Towers’ attention.

It would be nice to have a front-row seat for Upton, a Diamondbacks product, as he blossoms into a legitimate superstar.

That has become rare in the Valley’s sports scene. Every sports owner has morphed into that little Dutch boy, plugging the dams of poor personnel decisions with free agent after free agent.

Where is our Tim Duncan? Aaron Rodgers? Where is the player we groomed and turned into a star? There is Larry Fitzgerald and who else?

It is the way of the sports world, and I get that, but the affliction seems worse here. It speaks volumes about player evaluation and development.

How refreshing it would be to see Upton reach his potential as a Diamondbacks player, to know the organization helped him arrive there.

He is not that far removed from the player who three seasons ago hit .300 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs. In 2011, he hit .289 with 31 homers and 88 RBIs and helped the team win the National League West. Not many players can do that.

Last season, with a nagging thumb injury, he went .280, 17 and 67. His 107 runs scored were second in the National League.

And he just turned 25 in August.

Yes, there is room for improvement.

For a guy with that kind of talent, he has some ugly at-bats. And if he struggles early, he seems to carry it with him in subsequent plate appearances. That doesn’t make him a bad person; just someone who is battling the mental demons.

A short memory is an unappreciated skill set in this sport.

Much has been made of Upton’s relationship with fans. They like him but he hasn’t turned into the “face of the franchise” that organizations covet. There is probably blame to be shared here.

There were body language issues early in his career that fans jumped on, but it is up to the team, too, to tap into a trait that would make Upton more marketable.

Different players offer different things. Eric Byrnes was high intensity. Randy Johnson offered a snarl and a fastball. Luis Gonzalez was high on the likeability factor.

Upton is talented and telegenic.

It is no surprise that interest in him during the off-season is high.

I have no problem with management shopping him around, by the way. It comes with the paycheck.

If you fall down the rabbit hole that takes you into the world of professional sports, you agree to a metaphorical contract that states nothing in this odd place is conventional.

Bosses can speak openly about your struggles. Salaries can be public knowledge. Every hitch in your swing or flaw in your delivery is analyzed breathlessly by amateurs and experts. You check your insecurities at the door and often are paid handsomely to do so.

And the reality is, the Diamondbacks have shortcomings.

They could use help at shortstop and in the rotation. They have depth in the outfield, which explains the open-mindedness in the organization when it comes to trading Upton.

Concern prevails that if Upton’s numbers decline in 2013, his trade value drops. Good general managers are always thinking a season or two ahead.

But make no mistake, Diamondbacks fans want to win now. If the team does pull off a trade, it darn well had better be for the equivalent of a front-line pitcher and not a couple of “promising prospects.”

I don’t blame the Diamondbacks for listening.

For the sake of fans, I hope they don’t hear anything they like.

Reach Boivin at paola.boivin@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/PaolaBoivin. Listen to her on pros2preps.com "Big Guy on Sports" with Brad Cesmat every Monday at 12:30 p.m. on XTRA Sports 910.

Just minutes after Arizona State’s victory over Arizona, a text message popped up on the phone of Mark Brand, ASU’s associate athletic director of media relations:

“Tell coach (Todd) Graham and the players I’m so happy for them. They deserve it.”

It was signed “Coach E.” It was from Dennis Erickson. …

It was a classy move by the former coach, whose tenure in Tempe has been rehashed in an unflattering light at times this season when mentioned in the same breath as Graham’s attention to discipline and detail.

The message is also not surprising. Erickson had strong relationships with the people around him and is happy to see his former players have success. …

What the heck does Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey have to do to garner real national attention for the Heisman Trophy? Seriously. He continues to lead the nation in rushing yet national analysts rarely mention him. …

Remember how Carey’s 366 yards against Colorado broke the Pac-12 single-game rushing mark held by former Washington State running back Rueben Mayes? Well, it was Mayes’ son, Logan, who hit Washington quarterback Keith Price on Friday, causing an interception that led to the Cougars’ game-winning field goal. …

Rumors about Tennessee’s interest in Graham started circulating through social media avenues again Saturday, but so far they seem more speculative than substantive. The coach made a point to say after Friday’s victory that, “I want to do it right this time. This is my last stop.” …

It is hard not to be impressed by the Sun Devils’ late-game play this season. They have outscored opponents 126-48 in the fourth quarter. ...

All six of the timeouts ASU called Friday came while playing defense. Graham has never been shy about taking those at unorthodox times, even if means not reserving any for late in the game.

A reader wondered how the Sun Devils performed immediately following the timeouts. Five times they faced rushing plays and held Arizona to 12 total yards. The sixth, the Wildcats’ Matt Scott threw an incomplete pass. …

Friday was a solid all-around sports day for ASU. The football team beat its state rival to secure a winning record. The new-look men’s basketball team defeated a quality Arkansas squad that was favored by 51/2. And the women’s volleyball team topped Arizona and likely secured its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2006. …

ASU came away with the football victory Friday, but the Wildcats have to feel good about the direction of their program. I spent time in Tucson on Monday talking to coach Rich Rodriguez and Athletic Director Greg Byrne, and they share a strong vision about the future of the program. . . .

Arizona Stadium’s North End Zone project will be completed by next season, and the facility overall will have more of a big-time feel. …

Arizona Stadium’s scoreboard is phenomenal. When the cameras zoomed in on players’ faces Friday night, the pictures were so vibrant you could read their expressions …

Dirk Koetter is being mentioned as a candidate for the Arkansas and Kentucky openings. The former ASU coach is the offensive coordinator for the 9-1 Atlanta Falcons. …

Reader Jim Bloch pointed out an interesting tidbit.

If Larry Fitzgerald’s eight-year contract is indeed worth $120 million, as reports last year suggested, that translates to $15million a season. He currently is on pace for 83 receptions, which means each catch these days is worth about $180,723.

If only the Cardinals had a suitable offense around him. It would be nice for fans to see that contract put to good use. …

While there is not great civic weeping over the NHL not playing, my hockey withdrawals led me to watch on Saturday a replay of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League. On the ice was Coyotes’ first-round pick Henrik Samuelsson, the Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep graduate and the son of former Coyotes assistant Ulf. …

Teenagers aren’t the only ones landing in trouble because of social media. Chicago Blackhawks center Dave Bolland made the mistake of retweeting this on Friday: “can I get RT of wanting Bettman dead?”

Bolland later apologized for his shot at NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. ...

The Lakers appear to be turning into the old Suns every day. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the team has interest in Utah Jazz guard Raja Bell.

Reach Boivin at paola.boivin@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/PaolaBoivin. Listen to her on pros2preps.com “Big Guy on Sports” with Brad Cesmat every Monday at 12:30 p.m. on XTRA Sports 910.

Every time an Arizona State football player enters the team’s weight room, a made-to-order countdown clock taunts him.

Five days, 12 hours, nine minutes, 43 seconds, 42, 41 …

It is set to hit all zeros at 8 p.m. Friday, which is the scheduled kickoff for the Territorial Cup in Tucson.

The Sun Devils’ 46-7 victory over Washington State at Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday was a welcome antidote to a four-game skid, but it is clearly already forgotten. Minutes after the game, fans chanted “Beat the Wildcats. Beat the Wildcats.” A banner was hung in the weight room that said “Beat Cats,” and the postgame press conference was sprinkled with Territorial Cup questions.

“I like playing better down there than here, honestly,” linebacker Brandon Magee said. “The looks on their faces in 2010? Priceless.”

That’s when ASU won, 30-29, in Tucson. A year later, the Wildcats won, 31-27, in Tempe and Wildcats defensive end Mohammed Usman planted the team flag on the pitchfork logo at midfield.

Saturday’s victory was just what the Sun Devils needed to tune up for their trip to Tucson. The Cougars are in a bad way, but ASU needed an ego boost for a game that could do wonders for the program.

To be clear, I’m sold on coach Todd Graham. Spend even a little time around the team, and it’s clear it is far healthier than it has been in a long time. Case in point: ASU has committed just 46 penalties for 343 yards this season. That’s less than half of last year: 104 penalties for 1,037 yards.

By improving to 6-5 with one game remaining, the Sun Devils are bowl eligible and have the opportunity to finish 8-5 with victories over Arizona and a bowl opponent. Worst case scenario? Try 6-6 and no bowl invitation, but that seems unlikely.

“I did 130-something speaking engagements and to every single fan, the most important game is the Territorial Cup,” Graham said. “We know this is the most important game of the year, bar none. This game isn’t about Todd Graham or any other coach. It’s far bigger than that.

“You can go 11-0 and lose that game and it’s an unsuccessful year. That’s what college football is about. I love the rivalry games.”

Good for him. He is about to get a big dose of what this one is like. Emotions will be high. It is a meeting of first-year coaches with a history. They are cordial to one another but hardly friends. Neither will admit it but believe it. It’s personal.

Graham will enter the game with the quarterback he had confidence in when few others did. Sophomore Taylor Kelly has had some hiccups, but for much of the season he has been an unexpected star who kept an inexperienced offense in check with his poise.

Save a sluggish start Saturday, Kelly was sensational. He completed 20 of 23 passes for 246 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He connected on his final 18 passes, setting a single-game record for most consecutive completions.

The journey for both first-year quarterback and coach has had bumps, but the relationship is solid.

Graham mused after the game that Kelly is the most polite quarterback he has ever known and mentioned how the sophomore makes it a point to congratulate him after a game.

Meanwhile, Kelly said Graham has “great confidence in me, and I’ve got great confidence in him. We talked earlier in the week, and he just wanted to remind me how he is proud of the things I’ve been doing. I can talk to him about anything.”

Credit, too, goes to offensive coordinator Mike Norvell, who has come under scrutiny at times this season but has been key in the development of Kelly, who was considered in the spring a long shot to start.

The Sun Devils know that while they should embrace Saturday’s victory, they need to keep in mind, too, the talent-level of their opponent.

The Cougars have a personnel problem. The lack of team speed stood out more than anything, and their shortcomings in that area compared to most other Pac-12 teams was jarring.

First-year coach Mike Leach inherited a short-handed team and is dealing with defections related to his coaching style. It’s going to be fascinating how this one plays out. There is no question Leach can coach. Will the Cougars have the patience to see it through?

Washington State safety Deone Bucannon said he was impressed with what ASU’s offense brought to the table.

“Credit Arizona State for coming in with a good scheme,” he said. “They spread us out well, and they had us with a lot of one-on-one match-ups which made it difficult. That’s probably one of the most difficult setups to make space: one on one with an elusive runner.”

The Wildcats will present a far more formidable opponent. Graham knows it.

The game, he said, is “going to be won by the team that’s the most disciplined, the toughest team, and the team that wants it the most.”

Admit it. You miss Mike D’Antoni basketball as much as you miss Steve Nash bad-hair days.

Both were sure-fire entertainment.

This one stings.

The D’Antoni-Nash reunion in Los Angeles harkens to a time when the pieces fit nicely in US Airways Center. Sure, we complained about defense and barked about early playoff exits, but at least we cared. Those teams were up-tempo. Exciting. Relevant.

Heck, we would let Robert Horry knock Nash into the scorer’s table again if it meant having it all back.

This is why the criticism out of Los Angeles is so head-scratching.

Since when did advancing to the Western Conference finals twice equate to failure?

Since when did putting together one of the more entertaining offenses the NBA has seen equate to a bad choice?

The Lakers’ hiring of D’Antoni makes great sense.

The former Suns coach is going to give Staples Center an exciting brand of basketball that will have Jack Nicholsonhigh-fiving Dyan Cannon, that might even allow those frozen Botox faces to crack a few smiles.

Meanwhile, slams about D’Antoni’s defense shouldn’t be taken too seriously, and that’s not even taking into account that his best teams ended up middle-of-the pack in NBA rankings.

Consider his personnel.

Dwight Howard is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Kobe Bryant shares the record for most NBA All-Defensive first-team selections with nine.Metta World Peace is regularly lauded for his defense.

But, geez, people, this is an offense with Nash at the point and Bryant, Howard and Pau Gasol at his disposable. Old Nash might not be young Nash, but his vision and passing are as sharp as ever.

No one in the league takes care of his body the way Nash does. And no one will be as determined to succeed knowing the doubters are ready to pounce. Nash’s cool demeanor disguises a competitive edge.

Remember when Phil Jackson complained about Nash carrying the ball too often before the teams met in the 2010 playoffs? Nash shrugged it off and then mentioned how Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, “the best coach in the league,” didn’t complain in the previous series.

So, sure, go ahead and write off Nash, 38, as too old.

Keep in mind D’Antoni is stubborn but not stupid. His personnel might not be perfectly suited for the Lakers, but he’ll adjust. That’s what good coaches do.

And D’Antoni is a good coach.

Criticism that the Lakers aren’t equipped to handle D’Antoni’s “seven seconds or less” offense might not make sense.

“We were never seven seconds or less,” said Suns coach Alvin Gentry, who was D’Antoni’s assistant here. “If you go back and look at our stats, we took most of our shots with 12 seconds or less on the shot clock. We took advantage of opportunities in the break and in the open court, but we weren’t coming down and shooting the ball with 20 seconds left on the shot clock.

“We were consistent in what we did, but I still say we were more of a rhythm offense than a Loyola Marymount situation.”

Some will point to D’Antoni’s struggles in New York, but it’s tough to thrive in the middle of dysfunction.

The D’Antoni-Carmelo Anthony drama is one of the few times the coach has failed to connect with one of his players. He knew how to quickly douse fires in Phoenix.

Nash has a great relationship with him, and D’Antoni would often half-joke that he would call a play only to watch “Steve change it anyway.” And both were comfortable when it went that route.

Bryant, meanwhile, has respected D’Antoni since Bryant was a young boy growing up in Italy and D’Antoni was a stand-out player there. Their relationship strengthened during D’Antoni’s work as a Team USA assistant.

Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum, who wrote a book about D’Antoni’s time with the Suns, reported Monday that the coach spent last week at an “old folks home” in Westchester, N.Y., to rehab from knee-replacement surgery after a power outage knocked him out of his “connection to the outside world.”

Hope he enjoyed the peace and quiet, not to mention the Jell-O. His life is about to move at a quicker pace.

By 5 a.m. today, the Los Angeles Times already had a blog up that said this: "Why Lakers hiring of Mike D'Antoni is bad, in seven seconds or less."

Ouch.

The author of the blog, award-winning columnist Bill Plaschke, is a talented writer and good friend. We even spoke about this topic on the sidelines of the USC-Arizona State game Saturday afternoon. Late Sunday night, the Lakers hired D'Antoni.

Today, I think Plaschke is nuts. (In a good way.)

Plaschke wrote: He's never taken a team to an NBA Finals. He has a losing record in the playoffs. He doesn't coach defense. His sprinting offense will be tested on a team led by aging guys who no longer sprint.

And, oh yeah, he's not Phil Jackson.

He's not. But it doesn't mean he can't win in Los Angeles.

This is a team with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Paul Gasol. I think a rutabaga could coach this team to victories. (Sorry, Mike Brown.)

Is this an aging team? Sure.

Is Nash connecting with Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Paul Gasol on the pick and roll still a winning formula? You bet.

D'Antoni's teams weren't known for their defense but some of his best weren't as bad as some have suggested. Oh, yes, and he didn't have Howard.

D'Antoni already has a great relationship with several of these players and he knows what makes them tick. In the NBA, that's half the battle.

LOS ANGELES -- As soon as fans poured out of the Coliseum on Saturday, seagulls moved in with Hitchcockian zeal, circling the field for any hint of carnage.

Thankfully, most of it left on Arizona State’s buses.

The 38-17 loss to USC shouldn’t bother Sun Devils fans as much as the way it happened.

The offense looks broken.

A unit that was productive and efficient en route to a 5-1 start has been sputtering and sloppy during four subsequent losses. The competition has something to do with it, but there is no question USC’s defense can be had.

ASU? Try 250, with only 108 yards in the second, third and fourth quarters combined.

“Obviously, I’m not going to point one person out,” ASU coach Todd Graham said. “It starts with me, it starts with Coach (Mike) Norvell and the offensive staff.”

In its past two games, the Sun Devils have combined for fewer offensive yards then they posted in one game two weeks ago (against UCLA).

Quarterback Taylor Kelly, the poster boy for efficiency early in the season, has thrown seven interceptions the past three games after throwing just two in the first seven.

What has to sting most for fans is that the Sun Devils played even with USC in the first half and looked poised to win. Then they completely unraveled midway through the third quarter.

The Trojans led 21-17, but the Sun Devils were driving. With fourth and 1 at the USC 39, Graham decided to go for it. Nothing wrong with that. The Sun Devils even called a timeout. Yet the next play was a disaster. Kelly dropped back and an offensive line breakdown led to a costly sack and the Trojans ball.

ASU never scored again. USC added 17 more points.

“We’ve got to be able to make adjustments,” Graham said. “What I see is we’re not getting the ball out in time. We’re taking sacks. We’re flushing out of the pocket. … We didn’t execute or perform.”

Graham is in a tricky position. He doesn’t want to point the finger at Kelly. He doesn’t want to call out Norvell, the offensive coordinator. But his words hint of frustration with both.

Here’s what the Sun Devils need to resolve:

What has happened to Kelly’s mojo? Did ASU’s weaker opponents create a false confidence or is the sophomore’s inexperience getting the best of him? Graham said after the game that Kelly’s still his quarterback, for those wanting a change.

It’s clear he could benefit from a few more skilled complementary players, especially when the juxtaposition is Trojans receiver Marqise Lee.

The sophomore is Heisman material. He had 10 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown. The Sun Devils threw everything at him and little worked. He was so good during the game that NFL draft guru Todd McShay tweeted he would be a Top 10 draft pick if he were available.

And the crazy part is Lee wasn’t even 100 percent.

“About 45 minutes before the game, Marqis comes in the locker room freaking out because his face is swollen with an allergic reaction,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “I’m thinking, ‘This isn’t happening.’”

That’s what ASU was thinking after watching him sprint to the end zone.

Kelly’s new inconsistencies aren’t the only questions about the offense. What has happened to tailback D.J. Foster, Graham’s prized recruit that showed so much promise early in the season?

The freshman had just three carries, his fewest of the season, for zero yards. He also had two receptions for 10 yards. Just two weeks ago against UCLA, he carried the ball 13 times for 81 yards.

“I don’t think we’re doing a good job of coaching,” Graham said. “We can’t sustain the tempo because we were making too many mental errors and take too long to get lined back up. ”

Conditioning. Adjustments. Coaching. It sounds like this staff believes there is plenty of work to do. After watching Saturday’s effort, most fans would agree.

Make no mistake. The Trojans frequently attract the best recruits in the country and at some point, that’s going to catch up with you. Often that’s in the second half, when the stronger, faster, more physically skilled five-star players rise to the occasion.

ASU safety Alden Darby didn’t want to use that as an excuse.

“That doesn’t mean anything to me,” he said. “I was a two-star guy and I believe I can go over there and play with anybody. (The rankings are) hype and it goes by who you know rather than your talent. Honestly.

“I respect those guys and playing for a program like that they get you playing to your full potential and that’s a fact.”

The Sun Devils need to finish strong to regain fan trust.

Ending the season with two victories and a bowl invitation would do it.

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